- P-ISSN1738-3110
- E-ISSN2093-7717
- SCOPUS, ESCI
ISSN : 1738-3110
Vol.9 No.2
Abstract
This study models the operational competence of mobile service providers as an endogenous factor that presumably impacts the mobile commerce (m-commerce) adoption of consumers and examines the relationship between the perceptions of consumers toward the operational performance of m-commerce providers and their m-commerce adoption likelihood. Quantitative research is applied with data collected from wireless Internet consumers in South Korea. The data is analyzed using factor analysis and structural equation modeling methods. The findings suggest that the operational competence of m-commerce providers is a significant antecedent to the m-commerce use and adoption of consumers in Korea. In this environment, the operational competence of mobile service providers in managing facilities, equipment, systems and technology plays a central role in enhancing m-commerce use and adoption. Based on the results, important managerial implications are discussed.
Abstract
With the increasing market share of retailer brands, many authors have paid considerable attention to retailer brands. Before market liberalisation in 1996 in Korea, retailer brand market was led by the supermarket retailing format, although the first retailer brand product was developed by the department store format. In parallel with the entry of foreign multiple retailers, the retailer brand market has experienced rapid growth. Particularly, the expansion of Tesco UK with well-established retailing know-how into Korea has encouraged Tesco Korea to actively get involved in retailer brand program. As a result, Tesco Korea has led retailer brand market in the Korean marketplace. The research starts with the question of why Tesco Korea has achieved such a higher retailer brand share. Accordingly, this study is to explore how Tesco UK has transferred its own retailing knowledge into Tesco Korea, in terms of retailer brand program development. In order to explore why the retailer brand share of Tesco Korea is higher than that of its counterparts, the author adopted in-depth interview with prepared-questions and store observation as a research methodology. To examine working process as well as information flows within Tesco Korea and from UK to Korea, in-depth interview method is one of the most suitable research methodologies, because of the difficulty of quantifying information or data related to work flows. In addition, to increase the validity of information, the researcher had interviews with Tesco Korea supplier and store personnel. Based on these research techniques, this research explored how Tesco UK has influenced or advised Tesco Korea, particularly, from the point of view of knowledge transfer. Since the entry of Tesco UK into Korea as a joint-venture, the retailer brand market share of Tesco Korea has continuously increased. It would be expected that Tesco UK has helped Tesco Korea to settle down in the Korean market. During interviews with Tesco and a Tesco supplier, the researcher found that Tesco Korea has obviously taken an advantage of retailing know-how created by Tesco UK. Furthermore, the retailer brand development and handling process of Tesco Korea has been operated with the help of Tesco UK. This might mean that Tesco UK has directly or indirectly an impact on the improvement of Korean retailer brand development skills. As a mechanism to transfer retailing knowledge developed in the home market into the host market, one of the international retailers, Tesco UK has adopted many different ways such as annual meeting, trading meeting to import or export own retailer brand products, offering of operation manual developed by Tesco UK and buyer cooperation between Tesco UK and Korea, in order to share information. Through these communication techniques, the knowledge of Tesco UK has been transferred to Tesco Korea. This research accordingly suggests that retailer brand market share is apparently related to how sophisticated or advanced the knowledge of the retailer brand development and handling process of retailers are. It is also demonstrated by this research that advanced development and handling skills make a considerable contribution to increasing retailer brand share in markets with a lower share or no presence of retailer brands.
Abstract
Transport is animportant sector of government regulation. Every country has its own transport policy, but European countries are evolving a common transport policy, which has a long history. The establishment of a consistent common policy in the EU's transport sector is still underway. The key motivations of this policy are 1) to establish and implement a common transport policy, 2) to clarify the concept of sustainability in the transport sector, and 3) to integrate transport services into a common infrastructure. One of the policy's objectives is the progressive movement towards sustainable development in the transport section. The EU'stransport policy has recognised that intermodality is a very important competitive tool. The EU's policy thrustin intermodal transport can be catergorised into infrastructure, technology, and standards and rules. However, obstacles to success can be detected. Cases like that of TEN-T and Marco Polo illustrate European intermodal policies in practice. As regards sustainability in the transport sector, intermodality can be an alternative solution to the increasing imbalance between transport modes and congestion arising from increased road use. Sustainability has been emphasised by the EU, which aims to establish intermodality in its future alternative transport systems while fostering sustainable development in the transport sector. Therefore, intermodality can be defined as a general trend in the current transport market, drawing interest from public institutions and transport-related market players. The EU has thus made an effort to facilitate intermodality in its territory, materialised through various policy options. Therefore, looking into the EU's intermodal transport policies is worthwhile, as doing so can provide useful lessons for all concerned parties.
Abstract
I conducted empirical analyses of what happens when an offline channel expands to an online channel and whether the pre-existing offline channel's competitive assets (e.g. brand reputation and level of service satisfaction) can be linked to online channel preference. I found that an offline channel's brand reputation and level of service satisfaction can have a direct influence on offline channel preference and a second-hand influence on online channel preference. Thus, if the competitiveness of the online channel is strong enough and its customers have a higher preference for the offline channel, they will be committed and loyal to the company. The resultant enhanced competitiveness of the offline channel will present opportunities for both present and future success. The main results are the following. First, the management of the distribution channel service quality is more important than that of the brand reputation. Customers' experiences of service and subjective evaluations are not important only as the leading factors in the long-term brand reputation management but also as influential factors in channel preference. SoThus, given that the service quality of the pre-existing channel is not the customers' main concern, a strategy of improving the level of service satisfaction aimed at present customers is more valuable than a wide brand positioning strategy aimed at general and new customers. Second, when an offline channel company establishes an internet shopping mall on an online channel, it is highly likely that the preference and subjective evaluation of the present customers will influence the online channel. This applies not only to the special case of an expansion from an offline intermediary channel to an online one, but also to an online channel acting as an expansion of the business model of a conventional manufacturing or service company: both cases are vertical integrations of marketing channels in an expansion of the distribution channel. My theory applies to a wide range of contexts. Third and finally, any business strategy can grasp the meaning of 'channel expansion. Fundamentally, it is an expansion of the sales activity channel and marketing activity. However, it is also a way of enhancing marketing and sales competitiveness through an expansion to an online or offline channel. The expansion of an offline company to an online channel could be seen not as improvement but as an innovation of the business process by which two goals are achieved with one technique. The former is expected to increase the sales of the offline company, and the latter is also expected to increase sales while also contributing to cost reduction.
Abstract
Our distribution industry still lacks legal and institutional supplementary frameworks. Therefore, we urgently need systematic supporting schemes for targeting small merchants, including those in traditional markets. In 2004, the scope of and target for traditional markets took shape through the enactment of the 'Special Act for Nurturing the Traditional Markets'. Though restricted to a single market, it expanded the target and scope to include markets and stores, market improvement districts, and business improvement districts. However, the Special Act for Nurturing the Traditional Markets, the criterion for the revitalization of and support for the traditional market, applies a uniform standard. Accordingly, the Special Act for Nurturing the Traditional Markets has revealed problems, such as the deficit of legitimate ideas about unregistered markets. This study identifies the problems with the Special Act for Nurturing the Traditional Markets. We take the Moranjang case as an example. This study offers the problems new insight. We discuss the problems in terms of their empirical reality. We focus on unregistered markets, which are not protected by law. Most previous studies have applied empirical methods, but this study also provides legal and institutional perspectives on the prospect for efficient outcomes by applying the normative study methods applicable in the field.
Abstract
A franchise can be said to be the main method of distribution and marketing. It appears to be the future of the retail industry and is one of the world's fastest growing businesses sectors, as many policy reports and research results have acknowledged. Korea's franchise industry began in the 1970s, spread out into many areas (including food services, retail, and the service industry), and has grown by over 10% each year ever since. The industry's influence on the national economy becomes ever greater. Although the size of the franchise industry is expected to grow as it spreads and as the government expands its support, it has not yet attracted much academic interest. Research has so far been very fragmented. The main interest has been the relationship and conflicts between the head offices and the affiliates. No study has yet occurred on whether the concepts of satisfaction and intent to conclude a contract directly affect the success or failure of the affiliates. Few studies have empirically inquired into the demographic characteristics and abilities of the affiliates that significantly affect their results. Domestic franchise industries must prepare to leap from quantitative to qualitative growth. Most important is the need for affiliate headquarters and affiliates to build confidence between them. A friendly and reliable relationship between affiliate headquarters and affiliates will eliminate distrust from the franchise and maintain a healthy franchise system. This study suggests that current and prospective heads of affiliation should concentrate not on attracting affiliates but on investment and techniques of affiliate support. They should work on the reinforcement of brand power, the appropriate affiliate business environment, systematic education/training, taking burdens off the affiliate business persons, consolidating the relationship with the affiliate business persons, marketing mix factors (e.g. products, price conditions, logistics and shipping services, promotion, supervising and supervisor, operation procedures/processes, and material evidence); these all greatly affect the success or failure of the affiliate business. Supporting the affiliates is an important factor that enhances their results and satisfaction and consequently increases the positive recommendations to others and the ratio of recurrent conclusions of contracts, which ultimately generate the growth of the franchises. In addition, it is suggested that prospective franchise founders should make every effort to choose a good head office since the characteristics of the head office greatly influence the success of the affiliates. This study is significant in that it grasps the characteristics of the head office of affiliation and of the affiliates that influence affiliate results in ways not yet academically attempted.
Abstract
The object of this research is to examine the factors leading to intercompany win-win by finding the antecedents and consequences that affect a supplier's fairness perception. We assume that the antecedent factors of a supplier's fairness perception are vertical coordination, cooperation support, information sharing, and legalistic plea. We assume that the consequential factors of a supplier's fairness perception are supply chain dependence and supply chain flexibility. The object industry is an electronic parts manufacturing company. We tested our model by using the SPSS 17.0 and the LISREL 8.5. For measurement validation, we verified by using a confirmatory factor analysis and a reliability analysis. For hypothesis analysis, we did a path analysis with the LISREL 8.5. By checking the modification index and expecting parameter changes, we modified the model. First, the buyer's vertical coordination had a positive effect on the supplier's distributive fairness perception and procedural fairness perception. Second, the buyer's cooperation support had no effect on the supplier's distributive fairness perception and procedural fairness perception: we suppose that the buyer's requests were burdensome, although they cooperated with the supplier. Third, the buyer's information sharing had a positive effect on distributive fairness perception but had no direct effect on procedural fairness perception. Fourth, the buyer's legalistic plea had a negative effect on the supplier's distributive fairness perception. and a negative effect on the supplier's procedural fairness perception at a 0.1 significance level. Fifth, although procedural fairness perception had no direct effect on supply chain dependence, fairness perception had an effect on supply chain dependence and supply chain flexibility both directly and indirectly.
Abstract
This study is designed to examine the effects of information source effects of the word mouth have on the formed expectations for the private institution and to explore the formed expectations' effects on the actual sales of the educational service. Moreover, its purpose is in analyzing what medication effects the pre-conceived expectation has on selecting the educational service. After testing hypothesis, the results showed that the source effects of the information from word of mouth had a significant effect on the expectation factors, in terms of expertise, similarity, likability and familiarity expectation factors. However, it was found that effect was not significant for the truthfulness. The significant result was found on the expectation factors before visiting the private institution on selecting educational service, indicating a positive effect. As for the influence of source of the word of mouth information on selecting educational service, the results from the mediation effects of the expectation factors on selecting the educational service showed that for expectation factors, expertise had the partial mediation effect, truthfulness, perfect mediating effect, similarity, partial mediation effect, likability, perfect mediating effect, and familiarity, perfect mediating effect. A test of the mediating role of attribute expectations in the influence of WOM message source attributes on educational services choices showed the following: 1) It was proven that attribute expectations played a partial mediating role in the influence of expertise and similarity, respectively, on educational services choices. 2) On the influence of trustworthiness, likability, and familiarity on educational services choices, respectively, attribute expectations had a full mediation effect. This research differs from the previous ones, which focused only on consumer satisfaction with educational services offered by private educational institutions in that it covers not only the influences of both WOM source attributes and key component factors of educational services on both educational services choices and satisfaction with such services but also the influence of WOM source attributes on attribute expectations prior to the first visit to a particular private educational institutions, and in turn the influence of such attribute expectations on educational services choices. Most particularly, the significance of this study lies in the fact that in an effort to more clearly explain the causal relationship between WOM source effects and educational services choices a test of the mediating role of attribute expectations was conducted. Although the research seems simple, some theoretical implications can be drawn as follows: WOM message source effects on educational services choices were positive and moreover these positive impacts are likely to be reinforced by means of the mediating variable of attribute expectations.
Abstract
Conventional markets in Korea have played a pivotal role in the vitalization of local communities and economies along with the distribution of products. Although many people believe the markets to be disorderly, they are lively and provide local people with things to enjoy, watch and buy. However, superstores have undergone a mushrooming proliferation since Korea opened its gates to multinational superstores in 1996. This phenomenon has caused a crisis for Korea's conventional markets. They have lost their competitiveness because of this environmental change, inefficient management, and their outmoded facilities. Government efforts to revitalize the markets have centered on redevelopment of the facilities, a perspective that has caused not only the fall of the old business districts but also the decline of the distribution function. Under these conditions, the traditional market has re-entered into competition. The Korean government enacted a special law to revitalize the conventional markets and has been implementing many policies to support them since 2003. In 2009, the government amended the law and adopted the Business Improvement District System. The government also changed the official term from 'old markets' to 'Conventional markets'. Despite this legal amendment, though, we still need to re-establish the concept of the Conventional market. Historically, markets grew up spontaneously to dispose of surplus products. Some manmade markets were established through urban planning or as public facilities. Their businesses transactions have always been based on mutual trust between consumers and trades people, the traditional way of commercial dealing. Conventional markets can be defined, then, as creatures of societal necessity where transactions for services and products are based on mutual trust. Problematically, unlisted markets are left out of government support. Although unlisted markets have performed almost the same functions as listed markets, they exist only as a statistic as far as the special law is concerned. In some areas, there are more unlisted markets than unlisted ones. Therefore, it is necessary to establish systematic management methods for the unlisted markets. Some unlisted markets received support in the form of facility improvement from local governments' budgets in the early stage of the special law's enforcement. The current government also assists with safety issues involving unlisted markets; however, the current special law provides no legal framework for unlisted markets. Moreover, consumers cannot tell the difference between unlisted markets and listed ones. Finding a solution to this problemrequires new standards and a wider scope of support by which the efficiency of the market improvement support system might be enhanced.
Abstract
As a marketing vehicle to survive in intensified retailing competition, retailer brand development has been adopted by retailers in Korea. As evidence, the retailer brand share of a major retailer, Tesco Korea, has grown from 20% in 2007 to 22.8% in the first half of 2008. It means that retailers have provided more and more retailer brand foods for customers. With the growing accessibility to retailer brand foods, it would be expected that the number of retailer brand food claims will increase. Customers have increasingly exposed to a variety of marketing activities conducted by retailers. When buying the retailer brand foods, customers tend to be affected by marketing activities of retailers. Despite the fact that customers trust retailers and then, buy their brand foods, in case of food accidents caused by production process, customers have to seek compensation from a retailer brand supplier. Of course, a retailer tends to shift its responsibility to its suppliers. Accordingly, it is not easy for customers to solve food claims. The research, therefore, aims at exploring the relationship between the buying-decision processes of retailer brand customers and which side takes legal responsibility for food claims. To effectively achieve the research aim, the author adopted a quantitative and a qualitative research technique, in order to supplement the disadvantages of each method. Before field research, based on the developed research model, the author pre-tested questionnaire with 10 samples, amended, and handed out to 400 samples. Amongst them, 316 questionnaires are available. For a focus group interview, 9 participants were recruited, who are students, housewives, and full-time workers, aged from 20s to 40s. Through the focus group interview as well as the questionnaire results, it was found that most customers were influenced by a retailer or store image in a customer's mind, retailer reputation and promotional activities. Surprisingly, customers think that the name of a retailer is a more important factor than who produces retailer brand foods, even though many customers check a retailer brand supplier, when making a buying-decision. Rather than retailer brand suppliers, customers trust retailers. That is why they purchase retailer brands. Nevertheless, production-related food claims is not involved with retailers. In fact, it would be difficult for customers to distinguish whether a food claim is related to selling or manufacturing processes. Based on research results, from a customer perspective, the research suggests that the government should require retailers to take the whole responsibility for retailer brand food claims, preventing retailers from passing the buck to retailer brand suppliers. In case of food claims, in order for customers to easily get the compensation, it is necessary to reconsider the current system. If so, retailers have to fully get involved in retailer brand production stage, and further, the customer awareness of retailer brands will be improved than ever before. Retailers cannot help taking care of the whole processes of retailer brand development, because of responsibility. As a result, the process to seek compensation for food claims might become easier, and further, the protection of customer right might be improved.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to survey the successful cases of small and medium Business Systematization Cognition by examining their entrepreneurial characteristics and analysing the factors affecting their success. To that end, previous studies on the association types of small businesses were studied. A research model was developed, and research hypotheses for an empirical analysis were established upon it. Suh et al. (2010) insist on the importance of Small Business Systematization in Korea but also show that small business performance is suffering: they are too small to stand alone. That is why association is so crucial for them: they must stand together. Unfortunately, association is difficult, as they have few specific links and little motivation. Even in franchising networks, association tends to be initiated by big franchisers, not small ones. In that sense, association among small businesses is crucial for their long-term survival. With this in mind, this study examines how they think and feel about the issue of 'Industrial Classification', how important Industrial Classification is to their business success, and what kinds of problems it raises in the markets. This study seeks the different cognitions among the association types of small businesses from the perspectives of participation motivation, systematization expectation, policy demand level, and management performance. We assume that different industrial classification types of small businesses will have different cognitions concerning these factors. There are four basic industrial classification types of small businesses: retail sales, restaurant, service, and manufacturing. To date, most of the studies in this area have focused on collecting data on the external environments of small businesses or performing statistical analyses on their status. In this study, we surveyed 4 market areas in Busan, Masan, and Changwon in Korea, where business associations consist of merchants, shop owners, and traders. We surveyed 330 shops and merchants by sending a questionnaire or visiting. Finally, 268 questionnaires were collected and used for the analysis. An ANOVA, T-test, and regression analyses were conducted to test the research hypotheses. The results demonstrate that there are differences in cognition depending upon the industrial classification type. Restaurants generally have a higher cognition concerning job offer problems and a lower cognition concerning their competitiveness. Restaurants also depend more on systematization expectation than do the other industrial classification types. On the policy demand level, restaurants have a higher cognition. This study identifies several factors that are contributing to management performance through differences in cognition that depend upon association type: systematization expectation and policy demand level have positive effects on management performance; participation motivation has a negative effect on management performance. We confirm also that the image factors of different cognitions are linked to an awareness of the value of systematization and that these factors show sequential and continual patterns in the course of generating performances. In conclusion, this study carries significant implications in its classifying of small businesses into the four different associational types (retail sales, restaurant, services, and manufacturing). We believe our study to be the first one to conduct an empirical survey in this subject area. More studies in this area will likely use our research frameworks. The data show that regionally based industrial classification associations such as those in rural cities or less developed areas tend to suffer more problems than those in urban areas. Moreover, restaurants suffer more problems than the norm. Most of the problems raised in this study concern the act of 'associating itself'. Most associations have serious difficulties in associating. On the other hand, the area where th
Abstract
The restaurant franchise industry is one that could benefit significantly from the use of intranet technology, from its potential for improving communications between franchisors and franchisees, to providing easier inventory and ordering processes. However, there is a level of trepidation among potential users about whether the technology would improve their work performance. This study sought to examine the relationships between perceived uncertainty and perceived usefulness of intranet technology in the restaurant franchise industry. Through a review of available literature, 10 sub-dimensions of perceived uncertainty (Duncan, 1972) and six sub-dimensions of perceived usefulness (Davis, 1989) were derived. Canonical correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between these concepts using data collected from 163 franchising restaurant managers in South Korea. Findings from the data analysis demonstrates two negative factors and one positive factor in perceived uncertainty that influence perceived usefulness, thus offering some implications of what to consider when implementing an intranet system in a restaurant franchise.
Abstract
On 1 July 2000, as the over-65 year-old population numbered 3,371,000 and accounted for over 7.1% of Korea's total population, an aging society was revealed. The over-65 percentage climbed to 11.0% by late 2010. A truly aged society is expected soon, by 2019. This aging society requires marketing research concerning the consumer behaviour and well-being of the elderly, because the 'silver generation' is emerging as a large part of the consumer market. The purpose of this study is to empirically analyse one effect among several satisfaction factors in the consuming cycle of various health functional products on consumer's well-being and the effect of product knowledge on the relationship between product satisfaction and well-being. To achieve this purpose, we established a research model after reviewing previous studies on product satisfaction, product knowledge, and consumer's well-being. The following hypotheses were developed from the research model. Hypothesis 1: When elderly consumers' satisfaction with health functional products increases, their well-being will increase. Hypothesis 2: The effect of their satisfaction with health functional products on their well-being will be strengthened according to the level of their knowledge of the products. Those hypotheses were tested by multiple and moderated regressions to the empirical data through a questionnaire survey. As a result, Hypothesis 1 was totally adopted, and Hypothesis 2 was only partially adopted. The study has many practical implications for well-being marketing. First, in order to heighten the elderly consumer's well-being, the level of his or her satisfaction with the health functional products has to be raised in every stage: during the acquisition, preparation, use, maintenance, and disposition of the consumption cycle. Moreover, promoting positive emotional experiences while diminishing negative ones requires effort because a consumer's well-being is made up of various needs. Second, the marketing of health functional products should be invigorated in order to raise the level of elderly consumers' knowledge of them. In other words, it is important to give them an expertise in the health functional products through different channels. A statistical analysis showed, however, that their knowledge has a decisive effect on only two satisfaction stages, preparation and maintenance. Nevertheless, this merely confirmed the intuitive assumption that the knowledge of health functional products is most relevant to their preparation and maintenance. In conclusion, this study is timely because few empirical studies exist on the relationships between silver consumer behaviour and well-being marketing. It contributes to our understanding of this subject by revealing the causality between the silver consumer's satisfaction and his or her well-being in the consumption cycle and by discovering the moderating influence of knowledge in that process.